A Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmaker said yesterday that he would push for a law amendment to increase penalties for food manufacturers that repeatedly violate food safety regulations, in the wake of a recycled oil scandal that affects many well-known manufacturers.
The Chuan Tung (全統) brand of lard-based oil produced by Kaohsiung-based Chang Guann Co (強冠企業) has been found to have been made with recycled oil and leather cleaner.
Wei Chuan Foods Corp (味全食品工業), which was accused of using adulterated ingredients in some of its edible oil products last year, was found to be using Chuan Tung oil in its food products.
KMT Legislator Tsai Chin-lung (蔡錦隆), a member of the legislative Social Welfare and Environmental Hygiene Committee, said such repeat offenses were evidence of inadequate internal controls by food manufacturers and should be strictly penalized.
Tsai proposed revoking the licenses of food manufacturers that repeat the same offense within a year, and raising the fines for those repeating the same offense within three years.
The companies’ owners should also be barred from traveling abroad and should have their assets seized and distributed as compensation for consumers, he said.
Furthermore, he said that if any of their suppliers are involved in compromising food safety, food manufacturers should take the initiative to report them to the authorities, or risk being considered accomplices.
However, KMT Legislator Chiang Hui-chen (江惠貞) said that amending the Act Governing Food Sanitation (食品衛生管理法) is not the issue, because it is already strict.
What is more important, she said, is for the courts to hand down the heaviest penalties possible to offenders.
Meanwhile, Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Tien Chiu-chin (田秋堇) said food manufacturers are responsible for investigating products provided by their suppliers, even if they are licensed.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or
RSS